Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Exams – 19 March 2018

1. Vladimir Putin has been elected as the President of Russia for his fourth term.

Vladimir Putin won his fourth term as president on Sunday, March 18, and will continue to lead Russia for the next six years. Before Sunday’s results came in, some election-watchers had likened voter turnout to a referendum on Putin’s Russia-first policies. While his victory was all but guaranteed, it was thought turnout would indicate how actively Russians were willing to support the incumbent president.

In the end, official Russian sources said Putin won more than 76 percent of the overall vote, with voter turnout around 67 percent, higher than in 2012, the BBC reported. With less than a quarter of the total vote spread among them, none of seven candidates running against Putin came close.

2. Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigns.

Mauritius President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigned after being embroiled in a scandal over her use of a credit card to buy luxury personal items.

Gurib-Fakim, Africa’s only female head of state, submitted her resignation in the “national interest,” her lawyer Yousouf Mohamed said.

Her resignation would take effect on March 23.

3. Ranji Champion Vidarbha has won the Irani Cup in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

The hosts had made a mockery of the contest when they posted a record total of 800 in their first innings and then bowled out Rest of India for 390 on the final day of the match. Vidarbha won by virtue of huge 404-run first innings lead.

4. Children’s Science Congress concludes.

Emphasising the need to provide more opportunities to children, Vice Chancellor of Manipur University, Prof. Adya Prasad Pandey has said that young students are the future of the country.

Delivering the keynote address at the Valedictory session of the Children’s Science Congress at the 105th Indian Science Congress in Imphal, Shri Pandey said that with more opportunities, children will contribute more towards a better India.

5. Kevin Pietersen has announced retirement from professional cricket.

Kevin Pietersen has revealed he decided to call time on his cricket career after realising he no longer had it in him to improve.

The 37-year-old announced his retirement at the weekend after deciding not to take part in the Pakistan Super League play-offs, ending a career in which he scored 23 centuries in 104 Test matches.

He walks away as England’s second-highest run scorer of all-time across all three formats of the game despite being exiled from the national set-up following the divisive 2013-14 Ashes whitewash.